EU and South Korea to Start Developing Next-Gen Cellular Network

posted by Get ready to replace your phone...
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2 years ago

Let’s face it, technology moves way too fast. One minute you’re on dial-up, and the next minute you’re on blazing-fast 4G that you can access from anywhere.

Speaking of which, don’t get too attached to that new phone - according to the Korean government, South Korea has teamed up with the European Union to start developing a ridiculously fast 5G network.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the two governments have set up a committee “to develop systems, set standards and get radio frequencies ready to accommodate the new technology.” The eventual goal of the program is to create a unified vision about the next generation of cellular technology among the world’s wireless networks.

The move is partly a response to a decline in the EU’s telecommunication quality. Europe was a late adopter of 4G, and its implementation of the technology was somewhat sloppy. The early adoption of 5G will likely put Europe back on the cutting edge of broadband, which in turn will strengthen their reputation in the world of technology.

The Economic Times reports that other innovators, such as ZTE Corp (the second-largest network gear maker), are working on their own prototype technology without paying much attention to the EU. ZTE’s technology, in high-tech terms, “will run on ultra-high spectrum bands like 15 GHz, 27 GHz or even 70 GHz.” 4G networks, which are in the 700-1800 MHz range, are just peanuts compared to that. In low-tech terms, that means you can download an HD movie in seconds, which would take minutes on 4G.

The technology is expected to be fully envisioned by 2015, and implemented by 2020.